Wings of Darkness
by Sky2585
Summary: Fang has left the Flock and is starting his own group of lab-made mutants to hunt and take down the Jekyll's. But the Flock, including Skylar is left to deal with the consequences of his absence among other things. (This is the sequel to Silver Wings but you don't need to have read it to understand this story.) Rated M because I'm super paranoid. This story is also Fang/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Fang's Flock

**Author's Note: Hi guys! So with this story you don't need to have read Silver Wings, but just know Skylar and Fang had a relationship, but Fang left her and the Flock to track down a group called the Jekyll's that was posing a threat to them. I am actually following a plot plan for this story, so hopefully it's not just a random jumble of things happening like it was last time. Thanks! XOXO- Skai.**

Fang's POV:

The water I was sipping coldly ran down my throat, I focused on that feeling to mask my boredom. I had been waiting for half an hour the group I had assembled to show up. They were all mutants like me, with powers and abilities, one even had wings too. But most importantly: they were all late.

The door to the small sushi restaurant opened, a little bell spritely announcing someone's arrival. I recognized her from her online photo, her name was Jinx.

She was a noticeable presence in a crowd, with short pink hair that was cut choppily towards the ends. It looked frayed, but it was hard to tell if it was purposefully done that way.

"Fang?" She called out in the opposite direction of where I was sitting.

I replied, "Over here." I stood up and went to greet her. "I'm Fang."

"I'm Jinx, as you probably already know," she said, I noticed she had a slight accent, but I couldn't pin-point where it was from.

Everything about her demanded attention. Her heeled boots, which gave her an extra 6 inches, made her even taller than me. I was over six feet.

Her clothes were revealing and tight, but her eyes scanned the room menacingly. When a boy's eyes lingered too long, she flashed a no-nonsense scowl that would have full grown men cowering.

"Do you want something to eat?" I gestured to the table.

"Perfect," she said sitting down. "I'm famished." I could feel my eyes widen as the waiter came over to take her order, she ate more than Max and I combined.

I was sure she could even eat Skylar by the time she had downed eleven plates of sushi and four sodas. I didn't want to glance around, knowing the questioning and awestruck gazes that would meet me.

"So where are you from?" I asked; I was curious about the accent.

She stopped shoveling food into her mouth for long enough to retort, "That's none of your business."

I ran my hands through my jet black hair hair stressedly. I turned back to the plate of sashimi I had ordered, "Okay, that's… fine." Jinx's eyes narrowed at me but she said nothing as she continued to eat.

I was more than relieved when another girl entered through the door. She was short and I could only make out a flash of hair as she wove her way through the strings of people. I could feel my heart rate pick up. It couldn't be. The hair was shiny and… silver. Exactly like Skylar's.

My heart pounded a thundering beat in my ears. When she stood in front of our table a mix of relief and disappointment rushed through me. It wasn't Skylar.

Instead, a young girl stood before me. She looked around fifteen to sixteen years old. Her eyes were a striking aqua blue that were, thankfully, much different from Skylar's pale grey ones.

She wore an oversized black hoodie and jeans, paired with beat up converse. She looked perfectly normal. "I'm Connecticut."

Jinx let out a blatant snicker next to me. "Connecticut? What, Virginia was already taken?" I felt the sudden urge to slap a hand over her mouth, but I assumed I would end up with a missing limb or two.

"No, I just liked the name," Connecticut replied simply. She turned to me, "You must be Fang."

I reached a hand behind my neck, "That would be me." Connecticut's head tilted, something so animalistic it took me by surprise. She was looking at me intently when I finally asked, "What?"

She was still staring confusedly at me when she answered, "Your heart rate rose when I walked in. It could have been for several reasons, but you looked fairly disappointed to see me. My guess is I look like somebody you know. But who?"

I had to force my jaw not to drop. "Well, look who's the little Sherlock," Jinx quipped.

I could feel my face pale, "How did you know that?" I kept voice calm and controlled, well at least I hoped I did.

"Super hearing, or at least as close as it gets. It comes with these." Connecticut pulled her hood back slightly so Jinx and I could see. Grey wolf ears peaked out from underneath her hair.

To the untrained eye, it might have just looked like a realistic pair of fake animal ears, lots of people had been wearing them anyway. But it was obvious to me in the way they twitched and perked that they were anything but fake.

What surprised me the most was how she had heard my heartbeat. The rest of the Flock had had advanced hearing, but nothing to the degree of hearing heartbeats.

Jinx let out a slew of curses, only they were actually ice cream flavors. "What the rocky road kind of strawberry is that?" It would be an understatement to say not laughing was difficult. Connecticut finally spluttered with contained laughter and Jinx's gaze turned into a withering glare. She fell silent.

All of our heads snapped towards the door when we heard some more people enter. One was a boy with dark curly hair and chocolate skin, dressed in a neon pink nike t shirt and jeans. The other was a girl with platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, light blue jeans hugged her legs tightly and a loose white hoodie hung from her shoulders. While the boy seemed preoccupied, lost in thought, she was scanning the room, looking for a potential threat.

Her eyes landed on the table and she nodded her toward us, showing the boy where we were. He looked surprised at her but I didn't know why. I kept my eyes trained on them as they walked over. The boys steps were noisy and loud. Her steps were quiet and silent.

The boy's face was split with a grin when he took the rest of us in, "I'm Kieran." We all looked to the girl for a similar response.

Quietly but not timidly, she replied, "I'm Lihn."

When they finally took their seats, Kieran and Jinx started chatting enthusiastically. Both of them had loud enough personalities to handle each other. I noticed that Lihn stayed silent. "Do you want to order anything to eat?" I tried asking, she shrugged in a way to 'sure' and then went back to vigilantly observing the room.

I was growing anxious, "Do you know if there's anyone here tonight?" I hoped she would catch the meaning behind the word 'anyone'.

Her gaze flicked towards me and then back to the room, "That's what I'm trying to find out."

"This isn't a set up," I told her. "Promise.

"Forgive me if I'm still going to be cautious. After all, getting contacted over email to meet at a sushi restaurant in Nevada to meet with a bunch of so-called genetically altered mutant teenagers, seems fairly suspicious to me," she remarked.

When I saw her way of thinking, I became surprised more of them hadn't been the same way. But it wasn't hard to figure out that Lihn had endured much more than the rest of them. Survival and mistrust seemed ingrained into her personality.

But then again, I had to assume the rest of them had their own backstories. I just needed to figure the rest of them out. Once you knew someone's past you knew their values, morals, perspective, and personality.

Everyone ordered and the food came, all of them eating more than humanly possible; but I guess we weren't really human anyways. Finally, when it seemed as if everyone had eaten their fill, I pulled out my laptop from my backpack. I had been stepping on one of the straps relentlessly through dinner, in case anyone were to try and steal it.

I placed it on the table and opened the file I had created, The Jekylls.

I spun the laptop towards the rest of the group, the screen. light slightly illuminating their faces. "I know you're all here to fight the Jekylls for different reason, but that doesn't mean we can act individually against them. The Jekylls are a group with assets all over the world, one person can't take them down.

But it's a possibility that a bunch of super-human teenagers can. So we act together, we work as a team, we help and protect one another while simultaneously taking down the Jekylls. Everyone agree?"

The group murmured their agreements and nodded. I wanted to sag with relief, "Good."

I stood up, leaving a wad of cash on the table, "So let's see what you all can do."

 **Break in the page**

The wind around us was hot and stale and we were standing in a behind a large abandoned building. But there was no one around us, and that was what we needed to be able to reveal our powers and abilities.

I nodded to Jinx first. She stepped out in front of us. "I need someone to come stand next to me and scream."

We looked among ourselves, confused and curious, but Kieran recklessly grinned and went to stand next to Jinx. He opened his mouth and took in a large gulp of air before releasing an ear-splitting scream. Apparently his loud voice carried over into every aspect of him making noise.

Jinx raised her hands and made a sideways swish towards us. The impact wasn't too hard, but it was enough to set me off balance and make Lihn and Connecticut stumbling.

Jinx made a little flourish with her arm and bowed, her short pink hair flopping into her face. I couldn't help the smile that reached my face. Soundwaves: she could move soundwaves. Kieran and Connecticut let out whoops and laughter, as did I. Lihn, as expected, remained silent. But a small smile twitched at her lips.

"I'll go next," Connecticut offered eagerly. I looked on with curiosity. I hadn't guessed that there was more than super hearing and wolf ears. She walked silently until she was a at least twenty feet away from the rest of us.

She took a shuddering breath and I watched as her human figure shrank and changed until a silver wolf stood before all of us. Her aque blue eyes eerily glowed in the fading light.

Jinx's jaw had gone slack looking at her, and Connecticut looked pleased. She trotted over and took a seat next to Lihn. She dipped her head happily, signaling for someone else to go. I admitted to myself I was impressed.

"Lihn," said Jinx with a rude lilt to her voice, "why don't you go?" I couldn't understand Jinx's need to challenge people and assert herself, but she did. Lihn seemed to be her next target.

Lihn shrugged off her hoodie to reveal a tshirt with two holes slashed in the back. She quickly unfolded a pair of crisp white wings. I thought of Angel and her appearance, it gave her a look of unblemished innocence. Lihn's appearance made her seem icy and cold, but her demeanor also added to that.

Jinx crossed her arms over her chest, clearly disappointed at a lack of anything to taunt or rebuff. I shook my head playfully and said to Kieran, "Your turn."

Unlike the rest, Kieran didn't move from his place. Instead he shut his eyes for a minute. I was growing impatient when he opened them again, a glazed milky look covering them.

His once dark eyes were now coated in what looked like a layer of frosted glass. His mouth twitched with murmured words that were indecipherable. I could tell the others were growing slightly frightened at spectacle, but strangely, waves of serenity seemed to wash over my body and mind.

Everyone's rigid forms went slack and the terror left their expressions. It was happening to others as well. I glanced around us, the only person who wasn't affected wasn't even in human form. She was a wolf.

"You're doing this," I remarked quietly, knowing Connecticut would hear. She nodded and gave me a wolfish grin that was all teeth and fangs. I turned my attention else where when Kieran seemed to pull out of his mindless daze and blinked confusedly until his eyes returned to their normal chocolate brown.

"Skylar," he said, sounding far away. "There's a girl named Skylar. She's pretty… with silver hair and eyes. She's… I don't know, it looked like she's having a panic attack. She-."

I cut him off sharply, "Stop. Stop talking about her." I could feel my temper rising. But it wasn't at Kieran or even her; it was at myself.

"I'm sorry," Kieran apologized. "I see the future, past and present. I can't control what I see."

I forced a smile to my face, "It's fine. Sorry, it's just a topic I like to avoid." Once again, I felt feelings of calmness overcome me. I couldn't help but laugh, "You know, did anyone ever tell you it's rude to screw with people's heads?"

Connecticut barked a laugh but Jinx jumped back, incredulous. "You're the one doing that?!"

It wasn't long before everyone began chuckling when Jinx began to run around with her hands pressed against her ears. Connecticut was on the ground laugh. I could hear the sirens begin to blare in the distance. "It's the cops!" said Kieran.

Jinx rolled her eyes, "No duh." We bolted out from behind the building, going the opposite direction of the sirens. Laughter still bubbled from our mouths as we ran down the sidewalks that were being speckled with rain.


	2. Chapter 2: Too Many Questions

**Skylar's POV:**

The wind was cool against my face and the ocean below me reflected an endless amount of sunlight onto my body. My entire being was warm and I felt surprisingly happy. My silver wings beat steadily in sync with the others.

Angel was flying as if she were a hyper ball of energy. Spiraling and doing flips around the rest of the Flock. Gazzy was struggling to keep up with her, darting slightly clumsily after her white wings.

Nudge was chatting to me about an atrocious outfit she had seen in a magazine. I felt bad because I was only half listening, but in all fairness, I had little to no knowledge about fashion. Living in a lab for seven years will do that to you.

As I glanced over at her, I knew not to interrupt. Not only was she so involved in what she was saying I assumed she wouldn't be able to hear me, I also didn't want to ruin the way her eyes lit up whenever she talked about fashion.

Max cast a sympathetic look towards me, overhearing what Nudge was saying. I just shrugged and smiled then turned my attention back towards Nudge. I didn't really mind it, it was a welcome distraction honestly.

Recently, I couldn't help but feel my thoughts drift towards him. It was as if the single thought brought upon so much more than it was worth. Because it wasn't worth it; or at least that's what I was attempting to instill into my brain. Every little thought of him caused anger and desire and sorrow to well up in my chest.

When I was talking to the Flock, he never crossed my mind. When I was flying with Dylan, when I was joking around with Iggy and Max, listening to Nudge, playing with Angel, and setting up pranks with Gazzy. I had come to need them just like I had needed him.

The thought of them ever leaving terrified me. The thought of anyone leaving scared me; I had been left too many times. I pushed any bad thoughts out of my brain and tried to focus on what Nudge was saying. Something about color schemes for seasons.

Soon enough, I caught sight of land below us. Sandy beaches and oceans, lots of beach houses and shacks. Dylan called out, "We're here." Dylan pointed to a small building with only four cars parked outside.

That must be the diner, I thought. We were supposed to meet a friend of the Flock at a small, worn down diner to discuss the Jekyll's.

We landed behind the building as to not draw any more attention than we already had. When we entered, the diner was small but in a nice and cozy way, brightly lit by windows everywhere. Waitresses and waiters walked passed us, unremarkable save for the scorching burn marks on their faces. The marks were in the shape of a hand print, my hand print. No, I shook my head, I would know if my powers had acted up.

The fire and ice were an ever present force within me; I could feel them every moment flickering and freezing in my veins. I would know. I kept watching, terror filling my chest. I turned and looked around at the others, nothing. They acted like they saw nothing.

My vision began to go blurry until all I saw was black. I reached out to steady myself on Dylan as waves of dizziness rolled through me. Abruptly, it stopped.

I shook my head, I must've been imagining things. I looked over to see a girl a few years older than Max and I sitting in one of the booths. She was the only person there besides the staff.

Although I'm sure she would've drawn attention to herself even in a room full of people. She had long, perfectly curled black hair, an angular heart shaped face, and brown almond eyes. She was wearing an outfit which I could only assume Nudge approved of when Nudge squealed, "OMG! I love your outfit!"

I smiled and Max laughed a bit. Nudge's happiness was infectious, especially when she was happy about clothes.

"I'm Nina," the girl introduced herself kindly to me, but something was off about her smile. It was tight-lipped and seemed more like a baring of teeth; it contradicted her light and soft tone.

"I'm Skylar," I replied, but I found myself leaning into Dylan to put space between Nina and I. The rest of the Flock hugged Nina before seating themselves in the booth. My body was screaming at me to get as far away from her as possible, I just didn't know exactly why.

It wasn't long before the Flock engaged in mindless conversation with one another. Nina remained silent, watching me. Why weren't the others noticing? I questioned silently.

"So, Skylar," Nina began. Nobody else paid her any heed. What was going on? "You're boyfriend is very strong, did you know that?"

I felt the blood drain out of my face, "What are you talking about?"

"Fang," she smiled once more. "You know, I tortured him for weeks but he never broke, well I suppose he did break. He just never gave up any information about you or the Flock. He was very stubborn, I enjoyed killing him."

I could feel my hands begin to shake underneath the table, my powers drawing from such a deep source, I felt immersed in fire. Fames flickered over my palms as I took a shuddering breath, "What did you say?"

"It was a lot of fun, you see, I fed him to the erasers," she nonchalantly responded. My entire body was trembling with fire, pent up rage and energy. I was shaking so badly Nina looked almost surprised when I lunged swiftly for her neck.

 **Later:**

Voices were echoing in my head. I couldn't make out the words but I could distinguish to whom they belonged to. The Flock. The voices were becoming clearer when I pried my eyes open.

I was in a bed with Dylan seated beside me in a chair, the rest of the Flock was scattered around the dingy motel room. Iggy noticed I was awake first, "She's up."

Everyone's eyes snapped towards me and the room went silent. I shifted uncomfortably under their unwavering gazes. I pushed myself up until I was leaning against the headboard of the bed. Finally, I brought myself to ask, "What's going on?"

My memory was in shattered fragments, and I was slowly piecing them together in my mind. Some shards were rage, others were fear, most were confusion. "You blacked out," Dylan told me.

"I did?" I questioned. "When?"

"A few seconds after we walked in," Max replied. "You looked scared for some reason, was it Nina?"

The shards and fragments pieced together. The burnt faces, Nina, Fang. They all came together. "No- I…" I was confused. I had imagined it all. But I had passed out after the faces, what about that? Had I imagined those? It had seemed like I was the only one who saw them, but it had looked and felt so real.

"God, Sky," Dylan scrubbed his face. "Do you know how worried we were? You just fainted out of the blue, for a second I thought you were dead!"

I knew why Dylan was angry, but I didn't understand how it was my fault. All I was processing was that the blame was on me. "Do you think I chose to pass out?!"

"No, but I'm confused as to why it happened. You fainted, Skylar, for no apparent reason and I'm worried. I don't know if there's something wrong!" Dylan was shouting now. "So tell me what's wrong!"

My mouth fell open before I grit my teeth to keep the tears from coming. I hated that whenever somebody yelled, I cried. It was just one of those things I couldn't really control. No matter what I had done, or who was yelling, the tears came. This time I blinked them back.

I saw Nudge's eyes widen, and Angel's eyes narrow into slits. Iggy was watching intently from the sidelines, analyzing. Gazzy just seemed lost. Max noticed all of these things as well, before Dylan could say more, she said, "Hey, that's enough."

She put a hand on Dylan's shoulder. I don't think anybody had ever really seen Dylan angry, I myself had hardly ever witnessed it. It was disconcerting.

Dylan's eyes flashed. He shot up and strode out of the room.

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been really busy. I promise I'll post a lot more coming up. I'll do my best have the next chapter posted by next weekend. Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited and reviewed! I also have a question: who do you want to end up together? Let me know in a review. Thanks! XOXO- Skai.**


	3. Chapter 3: Emails

**Skylar's POV:**

The room was silent, the tension making the air swell thickly until it was too dense for me to breathe. Out, I needed out before… before one of them happened.

I sprinted out of the room, hoping to rid my body of any excess adrenaline. I had heard Dylan's footsteps go left, so naturally I went right. I pushed open a door that I knew led to out back, my wings unfurling through the slashes in the back of my shirt.

I shot out of the doorway, my feet never touching the pavement. My wings beat hard and fast as I gained altitude. I glanced around me, buildings, there were only buildings, so I dove for the most abandoned and quiet place I could find, the roof a warehouse.

The roof was a large spacious expanse of flat concrete, with one cubicle like structure which harbored a door. My feet landed softly onto the roof and I could feel my heart beat slowing. I let out a breath of relief. Sinking to the ground, I leaned against the brick that wrapped around the roof, ensuring nobody could fall if they didn't want to.

Tears pricked the back of my eyes and I blinked them back furiously. What was wrong with me? _You're weak_ , a voice echoed in my head. _You're weak_. I was growing more and more convinced of this. I needed to change, I needed to toughen up. I needed to turn my heart into a heart of stone, then maybe things wouldn't hurt.

I pressed my knees to my chest and raised my gaze to the sky. It was dark out and the stars were blocked by hazy clouds. I had been hoping to seek solace in the night sky.

I sighed and lowered my gaze, my cheek resting on my knee. "Skylar?"

I jumped to my feet ready to fight until I recognized the voice. Dylan. His shoulders hung with sorrow and he couldn't meet my gaze. I opened my mouth to say something but the words got caught in my throat.

Dylan said them for me, "I'm so sorry Skylar. I've never yelled at you before and I-I can't believe I did. I'm so sorry."

It was true, Dylan had never yelled at me before. It's part of why it had hurt so badly. He was hardly ever mad, let alone angry enough to yell.

I wanted to say it was fine, I knew he was sorry, and I wasn't angry with him. All that I was feeling was my heart sinking into a heavy weight in my abdomen. It hurt, even though I told myself what had happened wasn't important, it didn't matter. It hurt. I couldn't say the words it was fine.

Instead I walked to him, wrapping my arms around his lean waist. I leaned my head on his chest, feeling the familiar comfort I had always associated with Dylan. Waves of guilt ran over me for not telling him the truth about the hallucinations in my dream. They had scared me so badly, and I didn't know if it was a dream or if it meant something. If I had passed out it had to of meant something, or at least that's what I was trying to figure out.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled into Dylan's shirt.

His arms tightened around me, "Why? I'm the one who's done something wrong."

I shut my eyes, "I was dishonest with you. When I passed out, I saw things."

Dylan pulled back, looking at my face. Concern was contorting his features. "What kind of things?"

"There were waiters, and they had burn marks on their faces. But they were in the shape of handprints, my handprints, I guess, like I had burned them. Then Nina started talking about how she had tortured Fang, how she had-," my voice cracked and I hated myself for it. "How she had killed him."

"Oh, Sky," Dylan pulled me closer. After a while he finally spoke again, "We still don't know why you fainted. And why that's what you saw. Maybe it's Nina."

"Maybe," I replied. I didn't know why, and the fear of it was gnawing at me. Eating at me from the inside out.

 **Fang's POV:**

I was camped out the living room of our hotel, scrolling through the comments on my blog. The rest of the group had gone down stairs for food. All of the comments were mostly the same, "I love your blog!" And "He has to be lying about this…" My eyes were growing tired and I prepared to close my laptop and go join the others. Then a comment stood out to me.

"Hey it's Dylan. Believe me or not but something bad is going on with Skylar. Contact me as quickly as possible at this email address." He linked the email address, the idiot, I already knew his email. He was the only one in the Flock who had one so I memorized it in case of an emergency. Although now his email address was up online for everyone to see. I deleted the comment and opened my email.

 **Hey, what's up with Skylar? Is she okay?**

Dylan responded quickly with: _No, she fainted today._

My brow furrowed in confusion.

 **Did she not eat or something?**

 _No, she fainted when we met up with this girl named Nina. Skylar had all of these hallucinations. We had been at a restaurant and she said she saw burn marks on the waiters like she had burned them. Then Nina had said you were dead and Nina had tortured you._

I winced, why did it always come back to this. Always come back to the terrible feeling of missing somebody when I talked about her, heard about her. I thought about Skylar dead and tortured and terror shot through me. I didn't want her to feel that, not about me, not after I had left.

 **What do you think it could be?**

 _I think something's up with her powers. She doesn't know it but her nightmares have started causing her hands to light up with fire in her sleep. It's a miracle she hasn't torched the bed and herself. It's dangerous. I don't know what to do._

The image of burned flesh flashed through my head. I shoved it into a dark corner of my mind and grit my teeth.

 **Don't tell her. You know how much it would hurt her if she knew she could hurt somebody else, she would end up doing something stupid.**

 _I want to say you're wrong and we should tell her, but you're not too far off on this one._

I almost scoffed, I would've if it hadn't been under the circumstances it was. Dylan and I had agreed on something, who would've seen that coming?

 **Keep me posted on this. I don't care if she just has a headache or she's tripped and scraped her knee. Let me know how she's doing, that includes mental stuff.**

 _No way. You left her, so why should you get any say in her life now? She was broken because of you, she maybe still is. If you don't have any idea how to fix this, we're done here._

 **Wait.**

 **Okay just wait.**

 **Look, I love Skylar, I really do. More than you could ever know, please tell me what's going on with her. Please.**

I was begging, and I knew it too. As much as it made my stomach twist and my fist curl at the thought of begging to Dylan, I would. I always would for her.

 _How could you love her, you left her?_

Ouch. I left her to protect her. I love her, it's why I had to do what I did.

Dylan didn't reply until an hour later.

 _Fine, I'll keep you updated._

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry about the wait for the chapter but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Also, do you think Fang has a right to know about Skylar? I was wondering this myself as I wrote it, and I want to know what others think. Let me know in a review. Thanks! XOXO-Skai.**


	4. Chapter 4: Throwing a Punch

**Skylar's POV:**

I walked along a thin path, trees on either side of me. No light filtered through the dense leaves, grey clouds blanketed the sky and blocked out all of the light. The area was silent and for that I was grateful.

I had gone out to the woods to take some space to myself before The Flock traveled to go somewhere else again. My heart ached with missing Fang and self loathing for doing just that. I didn't want to miss him, I wanted to hate him. But I couldn't.

I felt tired and lost and confused. My brain was scattered into fragments yet I couldn't form any coherent thoughts, just feelings. I didn't know what to do. I felt helpless, like I couldn't control my life anymore.

I grit my teeth and tilted my head to the sky. I wasn't going to cry. But the dam I'd kept on all of my feelings was breaking. I wasn't going to cry. The urge to scream was tearing at me. I wasn't going to cry.

I barely registered what was happening when my hands began to shake. Tears sprang to my eyes against my will and streamed down my face. A heavy weight began to settle on my chest until every breath was labored and short. My entire body began to tremble.

I couldn't breath and sobs were racking my body. I felt like I was dying. Every time I inhaled the weight on my chest worsened. Every time I exhaled, the weight on my chest worsened. I'm going to die, I thought, I'm dying.

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. I clenched my hands into shaking fists. I can't breath, I said silently. I fell to my knees, leaning my body against a tree trunk.

The tears kept coming and so did the panic. I curled into myself, tightly clutching my legs to my chest. The feeling seemed to last an eternity. It was never ending. Until it stopped.

The trembling began to lessen and the weight from my chest lightened a bit. I was breathing heavily and tears stained my face. I was fine, I wasn't dead and I hadn't been dying. I had been having a panic attack.

I felt exhausted but I wasn't tired enough to not feel shame creep through my veins. I was weak. I was so weak without him and I hated it. I had never had a home until I met him, never learned how to make one for myself. So I relied on others for shelter.

It wasn't working. I couldn't be around people 24/7, when I did I felt even more tired due to my introvertedness. But when I wasn't with somebody my feelings would seep through the cracks of my exterior until one of two things happened. I cried or got a panic attack. I felt so pathetic because of it.

I rose to my feet. I let out a half sob half scream as I slammed my hand into the tree. The bark bit into my skin and blood trickled down my wrist. I scraped it even further drawing it away. I leapt back and hissed in pain. If I hadn't broken my hand I had at least bruised it.

I heard quiet footsteps behind me. I whirled around, expecting an attacker. Instead I was faced with Iggy. "Did you just punch a tree?"

I laughed, more tears streaming down my face. "Yeah."

Iggy let out a humorless chuckle. "Punching things never quite helps does it?"

"No, not really," I responded.

"Here," he reached out towards me. "Let me see your hand."

"Ig…" I was prepared to protest.

"Just let me see it," he sighed through his nose.

I placed my hand in his, knowing he felt the sticky wetness of blood. He turned my hand over in his surprisingly gently. I didn't know what exactly he was doing considering he was blind but I let him work in peace.

"We should start heading back to the hotel," he murmured to himself. He dropped my hand and and held up a palm. "Are you right handed or left?"

I replied, "Ambidextrous."

"Good, punch my hand with your uninjured one."

I scoffed, "You're serious?"

"Dead serious. Now come on, punch me."

I took a step back a reeled a fist back and swung. I hit his hand weakly.

"You're punching wrong, you're going to hurt yourself doing it like that." He demonstrated a punch for me. His arm shot out quickly before returning to it's original form. I raised my eyebrows. He was good at this.

"Stop tucking your thumb in, you're going to break it."

"But it's the way I've been doing it my entire life. It's worked so far," I argued.

He gave me a pointed look, "Try it."

I did as he said and took another shot at his palm. I hit it surprisingly hard with well aimed accuracy. A grin sneaked across my lips. "I did it."

I looked at me as if he were actually seeing me, profoundly and knowingly. "I know. Skylar, sometimes things need to change to get better. Sometimes they need to get worse."

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I'm trying and I'll keep updating when I can. On a happier note, I'm thinking of doing like a question each chapter for you guys to answer in a review so I think that will be fun. Hope you enjoy. Thanks! XOXO- Skai.**

 **Question: Do you get panic attacks or deal with any mental illnesses? Or maybe you even have a friend who does or just relate to what was written in this chapter? I'm asking because I get panic attacks and it was actually surprisingly hard to write this and I'm wondering if any of you can relate to it. Also, I don't want any negative things in reviews about mental illnesses and etc. Just be open to others and their lives.**


	5. Chapter 5: A Fluffy Chapter

**Author's Note: Well I haven't updated in months and I feel terrible about it. My excuses are school, I got a new husky puppy, I'm writing a book, and so much more. So I figured I would update after I was thinking about an idea for the story. I felt like writing a fluffy chapter so here it is. Thanks so much if you've stuck around for this long. XOXO- Skai.**

 **Max's POV:**

I stood, pacing on a hotel porch. My head was swirling with all the decisions I'd have to make. Fang had emailed Dylan at three in the morning, asking to talk to me on the phone. He gave me a number to call. Thankfully, Skylar had been asleep.

He mentioned a group he had been tracking for a while, and how they were going to host a banquet. He wanted our help for infiltrating the event with his new group. I had laughed bitterly when he said that.

He also asked how Skylar was. I knew it was cruel, but I had refused to answer. But he had left, he had driven this wedge between us after so many years fighting side by side with the Flock. I'd be the first to admit that it hurt.

After Fang explained everything he knew about the organization, I had agreed. I figured saving the world from a bunch of sociopathic scientists was more important than my own personal issues. I just wasn't sure how to tell the rest of the Flock.

But Fang had told me we would need clothes for the event. So that's where I would start.

 **Skylar's POV:**

I woke to Max walking around our room while simultaneously clapping her hands and yelling for us to get our lazy arses out of bed. Needless to say, it wasn't the most pleasant of mornings.

"Why are we up so early?" I asked, blinking tiredly.

"I've happened to come into some money," Max replied. "And today, we need to go shopping."

Iggy groaned, "Clothes?"

"Oh hush, you'll be fine," said Max. "I pick out all your clothes for you anyway."

Iggy muttered under his breath while Nudge and Angel looked ecstatic. Gazzy appeared to be just as uncomfortable with the situation as Iggy.

I didn't really know what to feel. I'd never really been clothes shopping before. As if noticing this Nudge noted, "It's so much fun. You'll love it!"

I smiled at her in return. I noticed Dylan for the first time this morning as he asked, "Is this shopping trip mandatory?"

"Yes," Nudge and Max replied in unison. I laughed along with Iggy at Nudge's excitement. Dylan just huffed in defeat.

"Let's go get some breakfast before we head out," Max could make any sentence sound as if it were coming from a drill sergeant.

This was something everyone eagerly agreed to and we headed to the free breakfast served in the lobby of the hotel. It wasn't long before every member of the Flock had their plates piled with food. Dylan and I were the only ones not used to the abnormally large portions. We still ate more than most normal people, but not nearly as much as Max or Iggy.

"So," Max began as she devoured her eggs. I sipped a cup of hot chocolate as she continued. Dylan had gotten coffee, but I couldn't stand the bitter taste of it. "We need to get some more normal clothes, jeans, tshirts, jackets, sneakers. You know the drill. But I also realized none of us have anything to wear formally if the need arose."

"No," Iggy said instantly.

"Yes," Max smiled in return. "Oh, yes. So each guy needs a suit, and each girl needs one formal outfit. Think of it as if you're dressing for a formal banquet. Like evening dresses and crap like that."

I knew Max hated dresses and clothes that made her feel vulnerable, but I also knew she was enjoying irritating the boys. Although, I pretty much had the same view as Max when it came to clothes.

The only time I had ever worn a dress was when I first got to the School. They didn't have clothes that fit me yet so they had dressed me in a hospital gown. I almost shuddered at the memory.

Nudge and Angel both squealed in excitement and I nodded to Max. Iggy and Gazzy had filed their arms over their chests but relented eventually. Dylan said, "Fine, I'll do it."

Max decided we should fly, it was a fairly gloomy day so we could take cover in the clouds if needed. It would also make looking for a shopping center much easier. Every so often, I would hold my breath and dive into a cloud. I would always come out with dampened hair and clothes. I liked it anyway.

Nudge would always shake her head at me 'ruining' my appearance, Iggy and Gazzy would just high five me with a grin each time I managed to fly in a loop through the cloud.

After about twenty minutes of flying we spotted a massive shopping mall below us. "Oh boy," Dylan said as we all began to dive towards the back of the complex.

"Okay, we're gonna split up into two groups," Max directed. "Nudge, Gazzy and Dylan, you're in a group. Nudge, I'm trusting you to dress them appropriately and make sure they like and feel comfortable in what they get. Got it?"

That left Max, Angel, Iggy and I in a group. "Let's shop for Skylar first so we can figure out what size she wears."

"What do you mean? I wear Max's size." I looked down at the clothes she had given me. The black jeans were a bit long for me and loose, but they were comfortable. The navy blue shirt I was wearing was tied with a hair tie on the side to make it fit. Despite the somewhat larger sizes, they fit comfortably and I liked the way they looked.

Max snorted, "Yeah, you don't. Trust me, you'll like clothes that fit a lot better."

We entered the store and immediately Max and Angel handed me loads of jeans and leggings in different sizes. I was shoved into a changing room while the others waited outside. Sighing, I tugged on the first pair of jeans. They were high waisted and faux leather. They were also skin tight.

I exited, relieved that they were also stretchy and moveable. "I think they're too small," I announced.

"I think they're supposed to fit like that," supplied Max.

"I like them," Angel remarked.

"I can't see them," Iggy helpfully added.

Angel's eyes brightened as she got an idea, "I'll just use my mind to send over an image."

"You can do that?" I asked.

"Duh, I figured out how to do it months ago, it's another ability," she replied. Okay then.

Iggy seemed to concentrate for a moment before giving his opinion. "They fit, but she doesn't look comfortable. Try on a different pair."

I was secretly thankful that Iggy picked up on my dislike of the jeans. I spent the next half hour trying on various pairs of of leggings, jeans, shorts, and a million other pants. Everyone else had been right, I was wearing clothes almost 2 sizes bigger than what actually fit.

I left with five pairs of jeans. One was a pair of light colored denim, the others were all black jeans, some with rips others with nothing but pockets for designs. I also now had an abundance of black leggings. It was still fairly cold for shorts, but I still had a few pairs.

"Are done yet?" I asked, trying not to sound whiny. I was genuinely grateful for everything, but I hated the endless process of trying on clothes.

"We still have to get shirts for you and then something dressy." Max seemed sympathetic but Angel was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Angel grabbed my hand and Iggy's and pulled us to several clothing racks. I'd never seen Iggy show any pain… until now. He shook his head and began running his hand over the different fabrics, he pulled out a tshirt that advertised a band called Guns N' Roses, it was for their paradise city tour. It was a light grey color. "This feels soft, you should try this."

I smiled and took the shirt from him, "Thanks."

Angel opened her mouth to respond but seemed to decide to withhold any opinion. I squeezed her hand and ruffled her hair. Her demeanor seemed to lighten.

We went through several clothing racks. Max helped quite a bit and seemed to deter Angel from anything to crazy for me. Iggy never failed to find the clothes that I liked the most. I pretty much had a large collection of sweaters, tshirts, jackets, and plenty of other tops. Max had picked out several clothing items for herself and Iggy as we shopped.

"Okay, let's find Skylar a dress and then we can go get some things for Angel," Max said. I was secretly dreading trying on dresses but I didn't complain. I tried to be happy that it was almost over.

We headed toward the dress department. I was fully prepared to spend another half an hour just looking to find one I liked, but a silver glint caught my eye. It was a short, velvet black dress with long sleeves.

It could have been mistaken for plain until one noticed the silver embroidery covering almost half of the dress. It was a thin, metallic embroidery that twisted upward from the bottom, spiraling around the back until the head of a bird came over the shoulder. Feathery designs that looked almost fine like covered the expanse of the back, swirling and coiling elegantly. It was a Phoenix, I silently noted.

"This one," I decided out loud. "Can I get this one?"

I turned to Max and she briefly glanced over the dress before agreeing.

 **Later:**

We each left the store with a large bag of clothing, a backpack to carry our new things in, and three pairs of shoes. We met Dylan, Nudge and Gazzy in the food court. They all had the same purchase as us, only different clothes. I assumed that Max had laid out a system for everything.

We sat down at a cafe. As we ate, Nudge and Angel chatted about everything we had gotten. Gazzy even commented about a cool pair of sneakers every so often. Meanwhile, Iggy sat beside me, silently eating, listening just as I was.

But what I found odd was Dylan and Max. They were talking in hushed voices, glancing at me not so subtly. I looked at Iggy, it took me a moment to remember he couldn't see me. I tapped his shoulder in question. "I have no idea what they're talking about," he told me. I replied quietly and went back to watching.

Finally, I found my voice and asked, "What's going on?"

Max and Dylan's heads shot up as they looked at me. "She has a right to know," Dylan chimed in."

"I know," Max sighed. "I talked to Fang on the phone this morning. We need to meet him in New York."

 **Question:**

 **So if you read the author's note at the beginning, you know I got a husky puppy. I thought it'd be fun to see if you could guess her name. I'll answer any question (within reason,) to whomever guesses her first and middle name correctly. It can be about the story or even about me. Whatever you choose.**

 **Clues:**

 **Her first name is named after a type of Daisy.**

 **Her middle name is named after someone in Fang's group. (I.e. Connecticut, Jinx, Kieran, Lihn, and Fang.)**


	6. Chapter 6: New York

**Author's Note: Hi guys! So I was rereading Silver Wings and I discovered something. In the midst of the all cringing and asking myself how I ever thought certain lines were a good idea, I realized in Wings of Darkness I'd forgotten about Foxx. So if you guys could just pretend she'd been here all along with the Flock, that'd be great. I know, I'm terrible, I really am, so sorry. Anyways, thanks. XOXO- Skai.**

New York was warmer than I expected. Even Max was dressed in only jeans and a tank top. Apparently it was supposed to be colder the rest of the week, but since it was only March that was to be expected.

Fang had set up the meeting spot to be in a hotel. It was the same hotel that the banquet was being held in. Well at least now I understood why we had needed new clothes.

I was dressed in high waisted black jeans, converse, and a cropped black and white hoodie that exposed a small but noticeable strip of skin. I was beginning to regret my choice when people kept looking at me on the street. I wasn't sure if it was my silver hair or my clothes. Either way, I felt uncomfortable with the amount of attention. I wrapped my arms around myself.

Angel, who had been quietly watching me, said loudly, "You look fine. They're only looking at you because you're pretty."

My face turned a humiliating shade of pink and I ducked my head. My cheeks felt as if they were burning with embarrassment. Dylan burst out laughing at my reaction. He slung his arm around my shoulders in a brotherly way while still grinning.

As we approached the hotel, I felt the urge to turn around and run. Could I face Fang again? I didn't think I had a choice in the matter anymore. Besides, I told myself, you're doing this to help stop the Jekylls. Nothing else.

Inside the massive building known as the Golden Creek hotel, the lobby was just as impressive. Large, plush couches set up several sitting areas. There was a long wall of stone with water gracefully flowing down into a long rectangular pool.

A restaurant with an abundance of pearly white tables was set up behind a staircase. The staircase sat in the center of the room. Everything in the lobby was positioned in a circle around it. It was colossal, made out of glass. It started off as one set of stairs before opening onto a glass landing with two other stairways leading in opposite directions. Dylan whistled, obviously impressed.

Max and I glanced at each other. She seemed almost as guarded as I was. We had both spent the morning building metaphorical walls around ourselves. I wasn't just seeing the person I may or may not have still had feelings for, she was seeing her childhood best friend who had left. Foxx grasped my hand.

My eyes landed on a tall figure dressed in all black, as usual. He was sitting at a table surrounded by what I assumed was his new group. Three of them were girls.

One had choppy pink hair, she was dressed in intimidating clothing. She were amazingly tall black boots and wore a leather jacket. Another had platinum blonde hair and an icy look about her. The other had silver hair, almost exactly like mine. I noticed a pair of grey wolf ears peeking out of her curls. I tilted my head, almost confused.

There was another guy with them. He had dark skin and black curly hair. He wore a bright tshirt and jeans. He seemed to radiate energy. Fang stood and turned around, as if sensing us.

The Flock continued to walk towards him and I forced myself to walk steadily toward him. My stomach dropped and I swallowed thickly. Fang shoved his hands into his pockets and simply said, "Hey."

His gaze traveled over the Flock, although he avoided looking at me. We mumbled our hellos as well. The one wearing the bright shirt stood up and held out a hand, "Hi, I'm Kieran."

He shook all of our hands. When he came to me, he grinned and lightly flirted, "Hey, there." He winked at me and I felt a laugh bubble out of me. I could already tell he was funny and kind. I knew he wasn't being serious but I noticed Fang's eyes narrow.

"I'm Skylar," I said.

Kieran cocked his head, "I know, I saw you in a vision." He paused for a moment before adding, "Sorry if that was totally creepy. I get visions of the past, present and future of people and events that relate back to what's around me."

I nodded, "Oh."

Dylan introduced everyone, "I'm Dylan. This is Max, Nudge, Angel, Iggy, Gazzy, and Foxx."

The one with the silver hair responded, "I'm Connecticut, but you can call me Connie if you'd like. This is Lihn. She's not very friendly."

Lihn remained quiet as she scanned over us. She turned to Connecticut and snarled jokingly. They all seemed very close and in tune with their group. Except for the fact that they were all staring confusedly at Fang, as if they'd never seen him so expressionless except for the narrowed eyes. I almost scoffed, I'd seen him wear that mask a million times.

I felt waves of anger roll over me, I suppressed them and tried to ignore the feeling. I couldn't believe that he was standing in front of me. He had gotten a haircut, new clothes, and due to the new lack of dark circles, a lot more sleep. I felt pathetic. All this time I'd been getting panic attacks, crying, and more, he'd been doing just fine.

"Well thanks for coming," he began. "Do you guys want to sit down?" Fang gestured to the open seats around the table. I sat next to the girl named Jinx with Dylan on my other side.

"I like your outfit," she complimented me. She had an animalistic grin that I found myself being grateful for. The walls I'd built were evenly matched despite her friendliness.

I smiled back, "Thanks."

The table was silent for a few moments. Connecticut broke the silence, "Are your ears fake?" Her question was directed at Foxx.

Foxx replied, "No, are yours?"

"Awesome, and no. They're real." To prove her point, she twitched her grey ears.

"Wolf?" Foxx asked.

"Yep. I'm gonna take a hint and guess your part fox?"

"Definitely," Foxx tipped her head back and laughed.

A bit of the tension between the groups melted and everyone began to chat. Jinx turned to me again, "Is your hair naturally like that?"

"No. I was experimented on when I was younger. My hair was black but then... drugs turned it silver." The openness of the words felt strange but if I was to trust these people, I had to be honest.!I could feel Fang glancing at me every once in awhile but I refused to look at him. I could hear him talking to Iggy. "Do you have any abilities?"

"Yeah, I can control sound waves," Jinx answered. "You?"

"I can control fire and ice… and I also have wings."

"Cool."

Fang cleared his throat and everyone looked at him expectantly. I was surprised at how much being a leader came naturally to him. "So I'm pretty sure you know why I need you guys here. We're infiltrating a banquet tomorrow night hosted by a terrorist organization called the Jekylls. Their goal is to rid the world of humanity and to leave only genetically altered people and mutants left."

I cringed at the thought of that ever happening. Fang continued, "Which is why we have to stop them. They're meeting with several investors tonight. The goal of the banquet is to convince them it's a cause to support. Therefore, our goal is to figure out who is the head of the organization while simultaneously attempting to prevent any investments being made."

"Okay," Max intervened. "What does that have to do with us?"

"I need you guys to pose as investors. And by you guys I mean Max, Dylan and Skylar," Fang said. "I need you to keep the head and the top people busy so other investors don't get the opportunity to speak with them. You're all good actors, I've seen you act and lie and million times before. Well most of you." He didn't look at Dylan and I.

"Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy. You all have expertise in several things. Nudge and Angel: computers. Iggy and Gazzy: explosives. So I need you guys to figure out how t off the power and security system to the event. Then, set off bombs that make a lot of noise but don't damage anything. Can you do that?"

They all nodded. "Great. Angel and Nudge, Jinx and Connie are great with computers, they'll be there help you. They'll document names and faces using security cameras. Lihn and Kieran will infiltrate the staff working the banquet, they will be the ones planting cameras, microphones, and more on people. I'll act as an investor as well."

"You've really got everything planned out," I remarked.

Fang looked at me. Actually looked at me for the first time since we'd been here. I hated the way my heart rate picked up against my will. "Of course. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Connecticut looked at me as if she knew how I felt. I'm sure she did, the way her ears perked towards me, I knew she had heard my heartbeat.

Max replied, "Well if that's all, why don't we meet back here tomorrow morning at eight?"

Everyone agreed. "Actually, Skylar can I talk to you for a moment outside?" Fang asked.

Dylan looked prepared to answer for me but I motioned for him to stop, "Sure."

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as we walked outside. Once I felt the pleasantly warm air around me I faced him. We were off to the side of the building, not in a private place but in a space abandoned enough we wouldn't be bothered. He simply stared at my face for a long time.

"Yes?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

"How are you?" He asked, despite looking somewhat uncomfortable his voice was sincere.

"I'm just great," I retorted. "Will that be all?"

I turned to walk away but his hand shot out and gently grasped my arm. "Wait."

"Let go of me." My voice was calm, calculated, and cold.

His eyes widened and he immediately released his hold on me, "Please, just listen to me for a minute."

Some part of my resolved softened but I schooled my features into neutrality, "Fine."

"You know why I had to leave," he said softly. I'd never truly seen him completely vulnerable, and right then I was hating it. I didn't want to feel sorry or sad, I wanted to be angry.

"I know why you left, you never had to leave."

"You're wrong, you know. I had to leave. I have to do things I told you I would. Not just because I promised you… but because I can't see you hurt."

He wasn't telling me anything he hadn't already. I'd read his letter. I'd read it more times than I'd like to admit.

"You say that, but in leaving, you took away any choice I had. You made every decision and in doing that you hurt everyone who cared about you."

"You have every right to be angry-," he began.

"I'm not angry. Not really anyway, I want to be. But I'm not. I'm mainly just hurt and confused that you ever thought you leaving was the best thing for me. In leaving without ever talking to me, you really did take away my choice. Do you know how much that hurt?

"Not just because you left, but because all of my life my choices have been taken. I never chose to be shipped off to the school, I never chose to be given wings or any of the abilities I have. So when you took away my choices, you became just like everyone else in my life who did that. You did something I'd never thought you would. I didn't know how to cope." I didn't cry, my voice didn't even waver. I was done crying.

His voice was hoarse as he said, "I'm sorry."

I only replied with, "I know."

We both just stood there. I didn't know what Fang was thinking about. But thoughts were swirling in my head and I couldn't make them stop. I broke whatever peace and quiet that had settled between us.

"You know the worst part about this? You're just fine. It seems as if you've been okay since you left. Me? I wasn't fine when you up and left, and I still don't know if I am."

 **Later in Fang's POV:**

I had just finished showering as I was exiting the bathroom in a black shirt and sweatpants. I was lost in thought, wishing I would've mentioned how I was anything but fine. I wouldn't lie, I had been stunned by what she had said. I knew leaving would hurt her too, I hated it. Seeing the aftermath did something to me that I couldn't ever put into words. I was immersed in my mind that Connecticut almost collided with me but quickly stepped out of the way. "Sorry," I excused myself and began to walk away.

I was almost to the door that lead to the guys' room when I heard her say, "She still loves you."

I turned around, "What?"

"Skylar," Connecticut replied. "She still loves you. Her heart rate picks up whenever you look at her or talk to her."

"That can't be-," I started.

"And you still love her." I had no response. Connecticut went on, "You still love her and yet you're doing everything not to be with her. Why?"

I tried to be as honest as possible, "It's complicated."

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you nejoyed that chapter. Writing has been becoming fun for me again, before I enjoyed it but I would have to make myself write. Now I'm writing because I want to write, which is great I guess. Well anyways, thanks for reading! XOXO- Skai.**

 **Question: (This one's kinda random because I couldn't think of anything,) What's your favorite tv show?**

 **My answer: I like so many of them. But I guess either Castle or Nikita.**


	7. Chapter 7: Rooftop Talks

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Nobody's guessed my dog's name yet correctly but her middle name has been guessed. Her middle name means lake in welsh, and her first name is not only a Daisy, but is also a mountain range as well as an old type of soda. I encourage you googling it ;) anyway, hope you like this chapter. Thanks! XOXO- Skai.**

 **Skylar's POV:**

I woke up far earlier than everyone else. The sky remained dark outside and everyone else was still asleep. I had a pool of dread and anxiety filling my stomach and I couldn't give exactly one reason as to why.

Not knowing what else to do, I strode over to a window. Glancing back only once to see if I hadn't woken anyone, I pulled the panel open and leapt out. I did exactly as the Flock had shown me the first time I had ever flown with them.

I kept my wings tucked tightly into my body before expanding them in the second before I hit the ground. The wind filled the air underneath them and rocketed me upwards. I grinned as I bolted towards the roof of the building.

I almost scoffed, maybe it was the fact that I had wings or the fact that I loved looking at the sky, but I always found myself on roofs when I needed to think. My bare feet touched the cold pavement and I walked over to the ledge.

Bracing my palms on the rail, I hoisted my legs over the side so that they were dangling before me. As a slight breeze rushed past me, I released I was probably under dressed. I wore a pair of maroon pajama pants and a thin tank top. I shivered slightly but decided I didn't truly mind the cold.

I felt as if there were hot embers burning within my core anyway. I quickly released whatever power I'd had pent up inside me for the past few days. I heated the railing until the smell of simmering metal rose. Then I would quickly spiral a layer of frost over it. Then I heated it again. It was an endless cycle, but it gave me something to do while I tried to avoid my thoughts.

Finally, I gave into the memories that tugged at the back of my mind. Not all of them were bad. Some were kind. Others were devastating. Most were bitter sweet. A particular memory resurfaced. It was an odd one to think of, it was from a time that felt so far away now.

It was from when I had returned from leaving the Flock to go with Dylan and Dr. Guntherhagan. The doctor had tried to take us to the school but we escaped, one thing lead to another and I had ended being shot right before Fang and the Flock arrived. It was at a time when I hadn't seen Fang in months.

 _Fang and I had talked for almost an hour about the places I'd traveled. I'd managed to redirect any conversations about panic attacks, although I had the feeling I wasn't escaping the discussion. Things were light and fun and simple when talking about the happy things but then it seemed as if there was nothing more to say. But there was so much more, just about the things I didn't want to say aloud._

 _After half an hour Fang had moved to sit with me on the bed, I rested my head cautiously on his shoulder while talking. We sat there in peaceful silence until I spoke what I had been thinking the entire time, "I missed you. I missed you everyday."_

 _And it was true, there hadn't been a day that had gone by without Fang drifting into my thoughts and the tides of despair drenching me._

 _Fang stilled, I lifted my head, had I said something wrong? Fang didn't reply for a while but pulled me to him once more. I could feel his dark eyes scanning my face. "I missed you too. So much more than you'll ever know."_

I thought about how different that reunion had been from this one. I also contemplated how much I wish they could have been more similar.

"I missed you too." The words echoed. Had he missed me this time? Or was he just glad to be rid of all of the stress and problems I caused him? Would I ever even get the chance to have another one of those long conversations with him? I had no idea the answers to any of my questions.

My gosh, my mind had turned depressing. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I wished that for just one moment I wouldn't have to think anymore. That my problems would've been solved. That I wasn't here regretting that I was reminiscing things that only made me more confused about the present. I only sighed and wished I could change it all.

 **Lihn's POV:**

I was surprised at seeing the girl on the roof. Skylar, that was her name. I wasn't sure exactly who she was but I could tell wherever she had come from and whoever she was now, she was important to the people close to her.

It was evident in the way the taller blonde guy had his arm slung protectively around her shoulders when they entered. Or in the way the other oldest girl continually checked on Skylar, watching for her reactions. Even all of the younger kids seemed to want to please her. I had noticed that even Fang cared about her as well. I was almost envious at how she had so many people around her who cared.

Skylar appeared to be lost in thought, staring up at the sky. I wondered what could be so troublesome for a girl who couldn't be a day over 18. My guess was that she was seventeen. But she wasn't just a girl, Fang had mentioned that her and her entire group had wings. I assumed that lead to a multitude of problems, as I had seen first hand.

I looked closer at the railing she was gripping. The girl hadn't been lying about having the ability to control both fire and ice. Her abilities were stronger than most, as she didn't appear drained at all. I still hadn't worked out how scientists had managed to give anyone the power of elements, but they'd done it with me and they'd done it with her.

I stepped forward, "Hi."

Skylar shot into the air, her wings beating strongly behind her and her fists raised in a fighting stance.

I put my arms up in surrender, "Sorry if I startled you."

Some of the tension left her as she lowered her hands and slowly landed on the roof again. "What are you doing up here?" She asked.

"I had been up here thinking when I heard someone come up. I didn't know it was you at first so I waited until I could see."

"Oh."

"You genuinely have ice and fire abilities," I remarked.

She clasped her hands behind her back, as if ashamed of them. "Yeah, I guess so. You're Lihn right?"

"Yes," I answered. "I can control wind too."

I don't know what had made me tell her and not the others in my own group, but I supposed that since she had powers of her own she would understand. "You can? That's… amazing. Can I see?" Her eyes lit up and I saw her guard come down a bit.

I replied, "Sure."

I felt cool emptiness rush through me before a small gust of wind rushed outward. Skylar's and my hair blew back and tangled behind our heads. She laughed, "That's so cool."

"Thanks." Curious about her own powers, I asked, "What's the extent of your powers?"

"Like what I can do? I can pretty much create enough ice to produce something that's purely ice around the size of a small house. But that's the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. And I can also create large flames that can reach as tall as 6 ft. But I've never really tried much more than that."

"Impressive," I lamented. She nodded but her eyes clouded with fear.

"You're scared of your powers?" I already knew the answer but I asked anyway.

She opened her mouth to say something, she was probably shocked that I had picked up that much about her in a few short moments. But that was what I did best, observe. "Yeah, I guess I am scared."

I thought for a moment about all the times I had been terrified of my abilities. I'd had my power and had known their limits from the time I was seven. Needless to say I'd had enough time to learn to control them and to not fear their vast possibilities. "I know how you feel, as ridiculous as that sounds. The best way to stop fearing them is to understand them. Once you understand them you can control them."

She laughed. My brow wrinkled in confusion, "What's funny?"

"Nothing," she replied, a smile still tracing her face. "Well, I suppose it's not really humorous. But that's the only bit of advice I've been given on my powers that's actually been useful. God, doesn't powers sound even more abnormal than abilities? It's just screams freak. Or at least to me."

She said it with a grin and I laughed in return. "As if we're not freaks. What's the problem with freakish powers for a bunch of freaks?"

She clutched her abdomen and laughed even harder. Giggles bubbled out of me and my face began to hurt from smiling. We both knew it didn't warrant as much of a response as we had given it. It wasn't hilarious or anything similar. But it seemed as if we both needed out of our heads for a few moments.

Once our revelry died down, I thought of how much I would've wanted someone who could have helped me with my powers when I felt both terrified of myself and terrified for the people around me. "I have an idea to help you with your powers?"

 **Another** **Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry this was a bit of a boring chapter, I originally intended it to be apart of the next chapter where it would get more interesting towards the end. But I already had this much written and I don't really have time to finish the rest right now. Anyway, just figured I should update with what I had. Thanks! XOXO-Skai.**

 **Question: Do you have any plans for spring break?**

 **My answer: For the first time in forever, yes! I'm going to go to New York and Washington D.C. I'm so excited!**

 **(Please leave your answer in a review, thanks:))**


	8. Chapter 8: Let's Spar

"I have an idea to help you with your powers?"

 **Skylar's POV:**

"Let's spar," Lihn suggested.

"What?!" I said, thoroughly confused and surprised.

She quickly explained, "I grew up feeling the exact same way about my powers. Not only would I able to help you with them if I could see more of them, but you could also learn that they're not always a bad thing. They can help you."

"I know they can be useful sometimes. But most of the time they're terrible," I responded.

"That's exactly the kind of thinking that makes you afraid of your powers. It's why you dislike them," she answered. "Now make an offensive move. Try to hit me with a piece of ice or something like that."

"No!" I refused.

"Okay then, I'll get the first move." I barely had time to react before I was knocked onto my butt by a cold blast of wind. A mischievous grin played on her mouth. I grit my teeth and tried to get up. She knocked me down again. A rattling and irritating pain shot through my tail bone. My eyes narrowed into slits. I huffed in frustration.

Without moving from my place on the ground, I put a hand out onto the cement. An icy trail froze over the top, it lead right underneath Lihn and then behind her a bit. She cocked her head, confused why she was still standing still or even just standing upright. I then raised a hand and shot the smallest flame I could her way. It was just enough to back her jump back and slip on the slick surface.

I rose quickly, using my newfound advantage. I reached with an internal force towards somewhere near my chest. I knew I would find what I was looking for there. It was the place where I could feel my fire and ice mingling cautiously.

I reached for the colder part and pulled it towards the palms of my hands. A spray of only mildly cold snowflakes blew into Lihn's face. She closed her eyes and an annoyed and amused look crossed her face.

I glanced down at my hands. I had never known I could conjure snow. Ice was the only thing I thought I could control in the cold. A grin spread over my face and I noticed Lihn's mouth had upturned as well. The moment was brief as a few seconds later wind began to circle around me.

No, it wasn't just circling, it was spiraling in the shape of a me sized funnel. A mini tornado. The wind was strong so I figured I would have to create a barrier. I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the noise of the swirling air around me.

Eventually, I felt the prick of small needles of ice on the inside of my palms. I only did what felt natural to me, I moved my hands as if on instinct without ever looking at what I was doing.

When my eyelids opened I was faced with an icy wall surrounding me on all sides. I placed a palm on the cold surface, I had done it.

Shouting began to rise faintly a few feet away. Almost instantaneously, the wind paused and the almost melted into the air.

"Is she in there?!" An angry voice asked.

Confused and curious, I melted down the ice barrier. "Why'd you stop-."

I cut off when I noticed Fang standing beside her.

"Why the hell were you trying to kill each other?" I could tell question was directed at Lihn from the way his eyes narrowed on her.

I answered anyway, "We weren't trying to kill each other. We were sparring?"

Fang turned to me and I skilled my features into an icy resolve so that all he would see was the emotionless face I wanted him to. I almost laughed, he hadn't done it to me as much as he had the rest of the Flock, but he commonly put on a mask of neutrality. It had bothered me to the point of no end.

"Did it ever occur to either of you," Fang's voice became scarily quiet, "that either one of you could have gotten killed?"

Lihn responded, "We were fine. I have more control of my powers than any other mutant I know, besides, you seem to underestimate Skylar quite a lot."

I let her words sink in and my face paled. How had she known that from less than a day with me? I looked at Fang who was anxiously running a hand through his hair.

"Do I do that to you?" The question was directed solely at me.

I nodded slowly. I was prepared to remain silent but the words came rushing out of me, "But more than anything you think that I can't make decisions for myself. You choose to believe that you, not me, know what's best for me."

He shut his eyes as if he were pain before responding, "I'm sorry."

I didn't know if he was apologizing for leaving or for underestimating me. I noticed out the corner of my eye Lihn making a run for it before things got anymore awkward for her. She was long gone by the time Fang opened his eyes. I didn't leave, I realized I didn't want to.

We just looked at each other in silence. We scanned over our faces as if looking for the answer to an unsaid question. Finally, Fang broke the confusing silence. He almost smiled, "You got clothes that actually fit."

I nodded and tried to make a weak joke, "Shopping is not an experience I ever want to try again."

He laughed softly, "I didn't think you would like it."

"Why not?" I asked with a curious lilt to my voice.

"Because I'm guessing the Flock scrutinized what you were trying. You probably felt as if they were scrutinizing and evaluating you. I know you hate that feeling…" he trailed off.

I stared at the ground as a lump in my throat formed.

"Skylar." I didn't look up. "Sky, just look at me. Please."

I took an unsteady breath and glanced up. Fang's face was contorted in pain. He said, his voice colored with remorse, "I'm so sorry."

I shook my head and jumped over the railing and into the sky.

 **Fang's POV:**

When she finally looked at me the reality of what I'd done felt like a knife being stabbed into my chest. Her eyes were wide and looked innocent but haunted. I had never realized how small she was until she wasn't wearing baggy clothes. She wasn't unhealthy, just small. Her collar bones were prominent and her pajama pants were slung low enough on her hips that you could make out her protruding hip bones. I could see why Nudge had been enamored by her, she looked just like one of the fashion models Nudge gushed over. I had never before noticed.

My voice almost cracked when I said, "I'm so sorry."

I wanted it to be enough so that I could wrap my arms around her and just reassure myself she was actually here. When I had left, I was plagued with nightmares about her dying or her being taken back to the School and tortured. They had only gotten progressively worse but I knew they were nothing compared to what had been plaguing Skylar.

I watched as she mounted the railing and jumped. I resisted the urge to go after her. Haven't you done enough? Dylan's voice echoed in my head from an earlier conversation we'd had.

I spun on my heel and scrubbed my face with my hand. I swallowed the fear I'd felt when I thought Lihn and Skylar were trying to kill each other and all I was left with was regret.

Skylar's POV:

I slipped back into the window silently. I glanced around, as expected, everyone was still asleep. I noticed Dylan wasn't in his bed and I glanced around. I almost jumped out of my skin when I noticed he was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Did you ever even think to tell me where you were going?" He asked, his voice was in a whisper but his anger was audible. "No. you didn't. You got up and left and I had no idea where you were, or if the school had come to get you or worse."

My eyes were drooping with exhaustion and my head hung with shame. I didn't argue, I didn't defend myself or explain anything. "I'm sorry," I apologized. I slid into my bed and pulled the blankets up around me.

The room was quiet but I wordlessly listened as Dylan made his way over to me. I hoped he wouldn't notice the silver lining my eyes. He did.

He crouched down next to me until he was at eye level. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to talk. "Will you tell me tomorrow?"

I wasn't sure. Dylan read this on my face and sighed. "Okay. Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes," my voice was like sandpaper, even at a whisper. Dylan grabbed a blanket off a chair and I handed him several pillows. He made a bed on the floor and soon I fell asleep to the sound of his rhythmic breathing.

 **Question:**

 **What was the last song you listened to and what's your favorite line from it? Also, please tell me if you like the multiple perspectives of the story.**

 **My Answer: Fourth of July by Fall Out Boy (AKA one of my favorite bands ever) and the line is "It was the Fourth of July and you and I were the fireworks that went off too soon."**

 **Please leave your answer in a review. XOXO- Skai.**


	9. Chapter 9: Preparation

Skylar's POV:

I was woken up the next day in the usual, pleasant manner… Max yelling at the top of her lungs for everyone to wake up. The occasional pillow was thrown, and every so often, somebody would get a nice soaking with ice cold water while remaining in bed.

I had learned very quickly to listen to Max before she got out the liquid filled pitchers. Jumping out of bed, I snatched a fresh pair of leggings and a warm, cropped sweater before scurrying into the bathroom. I changed quickly, finishing by shoved my feet into a pair of black boots that came up to the tops of my ankles.

I felt Dylan's eyes drilling into me as I reappeared fully dressed and looking just as tired as I had the day before. He nodded, almost as a reminder that he and I would talk about what had happened the night before.

"Everybody, let's go! We need to get there before too many people fill the breakfast bar." Max herded the younger kids as Iggy, Dylan and I followed behind them.

Somehow, the eight of us managed to cram into a tiny elevator and make it to the dining hall in time so that it was only our flock and Fang's group occupying any tables.

"Hello," greeted Connecticut.

I grinned, "Hi."

Jinx and Jasper greeted me similarly and I received a surprising and small smile from Lihn. My lips curled upward in response. I was happy to see we didn't have any problems after last night.

I took a seat next to Foxx. Fang cast his eyes towards his breakfast and refused to meet my gaze. I shook my head and asked, "What time does the banquet start?"

His eyes flicked upwards, "Eight."

"What time are we preparing and planning?"

"Just after this, I want everyone to have time to get ready."

I opened my mouth to respond but Dylan pulled out a chair next to me and took a seat. He placed two plates in front of us, one for him and one for me. I glanced at him, "Thanks."

He nodded before beginning to eat. Gazzy and Angel sat down at the table as well. We were just waiting on Max and Iggy.

I took in the scene before me with curiosity and something similar to awe. It was several tables pushed together, occupied by children and teenagers whose abilities and genetics set them apart in more ways than one. In total there was thirteen of us. The Flock: Max, Iggy, Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, Foxx, Dylan and myself. Fang's group: Fang, Lihn, Jinx, Connecticut and Jasper.

Iggy and Max joined the rest of us. The table was silent for a moment before Max said, "Should we review our jobs and positions for tonight?"

"Sure," Fang replied.

"Max, Dylan, and Skylar and I will pose as investors. Jasper and Lihn will infiltrate the staff and dress up as waiters. They'll be walking around and listening in in conversations if possible.

"Connecticut, Angel, and Nudge will be monitoring the event by hacking into security cameras. We'll want them to try and run facial recognition on people. By 9:00, the Jekylls plan on giving a presentation as to why everyone there should invest with their studies and labs. That's our opportunity to convince everyone not to.

"Iggy, Gazzy and Jinx all have expertise in explosives. You're going to set off explosives under the stage as they're giving a demonstration on their new technology. Nothing that will damage too much or hurt anyone, but something that's loud and will scare off investors. They'll think the products are faulty and the Jekyll's will lose most of their funding towards labs that are like the School."

Everything was planned out, and judging by the more than mildly impressed expressions in everyone's faces, it was going to work.

7:30pm:

I had only been to a handful of formal events. Two to be exact, all of which I followed Jeb around, wearing in a pretty dress, as he pitched me as his most successful experiment and why I was one they should invest in. No matter the pleasantries, lovely venues, and ridiculously expensive food, I hated those events more than anything. I'd felt like I was on display the entire time.

I smoothed out the black fabric of my dress for the seventh time in the past ten minutes. It was floor length and would have been plain if not for the lace detailing around the neckline.

I couldn't help but feel somewhat exposed while wearing it. Maybe it was the fact that it was backless, or maybe it was the slit that ran up my left leg until it hit my upper thigh. It was the slit, most definitely the slit.

"Relax," Angel said from behind me. She was dressed normally in jeans and a tshirt, seeing as she was only going to be viewing the event from the security camera, she didn't need to dress up. "You look amazing."

My face grew warm as I blushed, "Thanks."

"It's true," Max commented as she exited the bathroom. She was dressed in a form fitting, knee length red dress while looking incredibly uncomfortable. Her dark hair was curled around her shoulders.

"Thanks, you look amazing as well," I complimented.

She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as she stood in front of the mirror.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she responded quietly, in the most unlike Max way possible. "I'm just not used to wearing dresses."

I smiled, "Me neither, but maybe we can get through it together?"

"Definitely," she responded.

I turned to Nudge, "Do you think we look old enough to pass for investors?"

She tilted her head as she examined Max and I from head to toe. "You still look young, but maybe around like 21-22 young. So yeah, technically you guys could be investors."

"Perfect," I replied, feeling somewhat more confident than I had minutes ago. All we had left to do was to attend a party. How hard could it really be?

 **Author's Note: I know I've been ridiculously inactive lately due to school and life and a bunch of other excuses. Mainly, I've felt like I've grown as a writer since I started this story. Therefore, I came to the assumption that all my writing I did for this story was bad and people were judging me for it. But I'm going to try and keep updating this and worrying less about how good my writing is and more about the fact that I just want to write in general. I'm going to try and update a lot more in the future. Over the summer is when I'll start to be as active as I used to on Silver Wings.**

 **Also to Emmawritesstuff66: thank you soooooo much for all the reviews and nice responses!!!! You've been the first person to motivate me to update in a long time, lol. (P.S. I love the greatest showman and the song This is Me, they're both amazing!)**

 **To other people who have reviewed my story and stuck with it for this long: you have no idea how much this story meant to me when I was 12-13 and first started it. Now that I'm a bit older I want to use it as an opportunity to grow and you guys given me the motivation to do that!!!**

 **Thank you, sorry for the horribly long note that you guys probably don't care too much about, XOXO- Skai.**


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